Hollow Junction
by Nea-writes
Summary: AU. In this country, everyone is paired into a set of a receiver and supplier. The supplier generates energy that the receiver needs, and can't live without. The doctors' ordained Sho and Kyouko's partnership to last forever, but Kyouko is left hanging when Sho finds a "better" supplier. Desperate, Kyouko turns to Lory, who might just be able to help her find a new partner.
1. Chapter 1

**This is an AU based off of _Shinkuu Yuusetsu_ , a wonderful manga by _Bikke_. I do not own Skip Beat or the premise, only the plot.**

* * *

 _Hollow Junction_

 _Chapter 1_

* * *

 _In this country, every person has to be matched up with a partner when they are three or four. The doctors decide who gets paired together and the sets are made of two people in the same generation with matching wavelengths. One person acts as the 'supplier,' the other as the 'receiver.'_

 _It is impossible for a receiver to continue to live without periodically being given power from the supplier. And in the same way, it is imperative for a supplier that a receiver accept some of the power generated within their body. This power can't be made anywhere other than inside a supplier's own body._

 _And that power is always transferred through the two partners' lips._

* * *

Smiling weakly, Kyouko shifted on the couch to draw her eyes away from the television to Sho, who's gaze remained steadfast on the unit. She waited for him to notice, and when he continued to watch the comedic show with a ready grin, Kyouko's own wan smile slowly began to thin, flimsy on her own face. "Sho-chan," she tried, struggling to keep the corners of her lips up. Again, she said, "Sho-chan," her fingers reaching out to tug softly at the edge of his sweater.

Scowling, the handsome blond finally turned to face her, and guilt twisted Kyouko's stomach. He was just trying to relax, and here she was bothering him! But, still…

" _What_ , Kyouko?" He asked sharply, and Kyouko shivered slightly at his tone, before regaining her tepid smile.

"Sho, don't you need to charge? It's been awhile -" _two days actually_ "- and it's getting kind of uncomfortable…"

He huffed sharply, before leaning over, his large hand resting familiarly on her shoulder, pushing softly so that her back rested against the arm of the sofa. Gently, like the caress of a feather, Sho brushed his lips against hers, Kyouko closing her eyes and sighing against his mouth as she felt the suffocating energy drain away into him. Slowly the pressure against her lips increased until a raging blush flooded her cheeks, and then he drew back.

When she tenderly opened her eyes, she found him looking at her face with an inscrutable expression, gray eyes searching, as if to memorize.

"Sho-chan?" Kyouko asked tentatively, but he just stood, brushing her off. She mutely watched him as he left the room, reappearing with a familiar dreaded black bag. "Sho-chan, are you leaving?" She asked in disbelief. When he didn't answer she unfolded from the sofa and stepped after him, brows pinched together. "You only just got here…" she continued hesitantly.

"Kyouko," he said, and she looked up to find him watching her again. Heat blossomed in her cheeks and she could feel butterflies in her stomach. She wanted to hold his hand, to tug him to her and beg him to stay. To not leave her all alone in an apartment too big for just one person. She wanted to see the look on his face when they finished charging, soft and open. Gentle.

"Kyouko," he said again, as if knowing her mind had drifted. His eyes were tender and he cupped her cheek with one hand. She leaned into the warmth as he continued, "You know I'm busy. I can't stay. I'll see you soon." Sho leaned in to press a warm kiss to her cheek and she sighed contentedly, before standing on her toes to press her own lips against his cheek, a sign of affection.

"Okay, Sho-chan," she said. "I'll be waiting for you here."

He smiled, but when he left all Kyouko could feel was the absence of his warmth on her cheeks, and so she pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes and begged herself not to cry.

* * *

Kyouko hummed cheerfully the next day, hands busily making a bento as she sang along to one of the radio's more recent hits. Her muted attitude last night had disappeared when she heard the news this morning report about the lastest in celebrity gossip, specifically about Sho. He was climbing the charts with a speed that even she knew was impressive. It was getting hard to hide her own pride when her coworkers gushed about him.

But, following on the trails of that pride was a bit of loneliness, and Kyouko determinedly shook her head. "Now Kyouko," she said aloud. "You can't very well go following him everywhere, right? He's a young male celebrity - well, he's actually a consultant, but nonetheless he's famous! - his selling point is his 'availability' and if you're by his side all the time it would all be a moot point!"

"...is what Sho told me," she trailed traitorously. "Really, isn't his consultations the main point here? It's not like they don't know he has a partner."

"But there's a difference between _seeing_ his partner and just vaguely knowing one exists."

A door opened and shut, startling Kyouko, then, "I'm home! Are you talking to yourself again, Kyouko?" Sho called out lazily, and Kyouko brightened.

"Sho-chan!" She cheered, rinsing her hands and grabbing the nearby towel. His feet padded rhythmically on the hardwood floor as he neared and she turned to face him. Their kitchen doubled as a dining room, too, so he stopped short of her across the table. "You're back early," she accused, though there was no real irritation in her voice. "I was just making your lunch, it should be finished soon! Oh, but I should place it on a plate instead since you're here, hm? Or, are you leaving again?"

She said the last bit in a soft voice and Sho glanced towards her as he scowled.

"No, I'll be here for a bit, but food isn't why I'm here." He rummaged through his messenger bag and pulled forth several papers, the edges slightly crumpled from his careless handling. "We need to talk."

Kyouko's eyes landed on the official seal branded on the corner of the papers and her throat closed up. "Talk?" She said weakly.

Sho procured a pen and then slid it and the papers around towards her to see. Her eyes darted across the bold printed words "Application for Partner Separation" before looking at him again. When she spoke she was shocked at how steady her own voice was. "Sho-chan, what is this?"

"It's exactly what it looks like. I want to end our partnership."

Kyouko felt her body still, her breath catch and her own heart slow, before everything seemed to suddenly work double-time. "End…? No, I don't understand Sho-chan. Why… why do you want to end it?"

Sho sighed irritably. " _Because_ Kyouko, it's such a trouble having to come all the way here just to charge! I have to travel halfway across the city just for a few minutes!"

"I said I could go with you!" Kyouko cried indignantly. "From the very beginning I promised to stay with you! You wanted to live _here_!"

"Kyouko!" Sho said, his voice never really reaching the threshold of yelling but loud enough to make Kyouko flinch. His next words were spoken more softly. "Things have changed. Our lives are so different… my day starts by the time you're having lunch and ends when you've already been asleep for hours. I was just told to start considering expanding to across Japan, and that'll involve me traveling all over the country for maybe a month, maybe longer! There's no way you can drop everything to go with me."

She was shaking her head before he'd even finished. "Yes! I would!"

But his eyes were closed and he was already dismissing her. "Just… just spend a couple days thinking about it, okay? Anyways, I've got to go. I only came to give these to you." He zipped his bag shut and slipped the strap over his head to rest on his shoulder. "Don't bother with my lunch, I won't have time to eat it."

"Oh," he said, and he leant over the table to cup her face, drawing her in for a kiss that could only taste bitter to Kyouko. "Bye Kyouko, I'll see you."

"Bye," she murmured to an empty room. Her gaze fell on the abandoned papers and she almost threw them off the table, almost tore them into such tiny pieces no one would be able to read them. Instead, she sighed and turned back to the useless bento.

"You and me both, huh," she said to it, and then morosely decided she might as well eat it herself.

* * *

Kyouko had thought about it. She had pondered, mused, and stayed awake the entire night thinking about it. But, the facts were as true as ever, and nothing would sway them. She _wanted_ to stay by Sho's side.

This wasn't the first time these papers had haunted her. When Sho had first began considering his career in consultations between partners, he had approached her with the documents in hand, gaze solemn and his mouth set in a thin narrow line.

"Kyouko," he had said, and she remembered how frightened she had been when she had seen the words emblazoned across those pages. "I'm leaving, and I want you to come with me. But," he hunched his shoulders and looked away from her, nervous, "if you don't want to I'd understand. I mean, I'm asking you to uproot your whole life to come with me and I can't promise anything but-"

"Sho-chan," Kyouko had interrupted, smiling and feeling something in her heart swell, so full and so gentle that it made tears spark in her eyes at his kindness. "I'll always stay with you, and I'll go where you go. We're partners, after all." The look of sheer relief he had given her made the pain of leaving all the more bearable.

So, no. Kyouko would not sign those papers. She had uprooted her life before - many times before, in fact - one more time wouldn't make a difference to her. The next morning, papers in one hand and homemade bento in the other, Kyouko approached Akatoki Agency. She was eager to see Sho. He hadn't dropped by to charge that morning and the dull pressure of energy was building in her, making her slightly nauseous. She wanted to charge with him soon.

As always, the agency was large and intimidating, and packed to the brim. Despite matching people based on brain wavelengths, among other factors, partners grew up with each other from the age of four, or thereabouts, and stayed together for the rest of their lives. Nonetheless arguments and fights would always happen, and ironically the closer you are to someone the harder it is to make-up.

This is where businesses like Akatoki Agency came in. While they were mainly founded on research about the peculiar condition they were all born with, they funded their endeavors through side projects such as consultations, matching facilities, and the nurseries. Despite being largely humanitarian and for the good of the public, rivalries had already arisen.

There were various other agencies that all competed against each other to make the best matches between children, provide the best care in the nurseries that all partnered children stayed in during the week - to facilitate the partnering process, after all, Kyouko thought dryly, you _were_ asking children to continuously kiss another stranger child - and to generally draw in the larger part of the public.

Sho had quickly realized that his charm came not only from his impeccable genes, but also some innate understanding he had of people. He charmed people simply because he _knew_ how to. Their entire grade had fawned over Sho collectively, and glared at Kyouko for stealing him away. He endeared himself to people, he was admirable, and he was as quick to steal a person's heart as he was to look at them.

The most logical job for him, then, was to help partners find the spark that had once been between them, and to help them reconnect. It was a popular job, with many benefits, and fame was the biggest one Sho sought.

In a world where such a consultation was nearly a requirement at least once in any partnership, the business was booming and the eye of the public was on them. Sho shined in his charm and in his endearing ways.

As she entered the large building Kyouko thought it ironic that Sho had already proposed breaking off their partnership twice even though he was a consultant who worked to prevent these very same instances. She navigated around the stream of people milling about the clinic stationed on the ground floor and towards the lobby. The receptionists there looked at her curiously.

Smiling winningly, Kyouko flashed the little card being Sho's partner had granted her, and the receptionists immediately scowled down at Kyouko. The brunette remained unfazed. It was not the first time and it would not be the last that Kyouko had received such jealous looks. She was just about immune to them now.

Without further preamble Kyouko bowed her head - a polite gesture than any kind of sign of respect - and entered the bank of elevators situated on either side of the receptionists. Mimicking the blocky shape of a Y, the lobby extended on either side of the receptionists to house the many elevators a building the side of Akatoki's clearly needed. Kyouko entered one of them and punched the button for the consultation floor.

It was almost as familiar as the back of her own hand, and Kyouko navigated the muted hallways with ease. The floor was always disconcertingly quiet, since the walls were built to be soundproof to protect the partner's receiving consultations within. When she found the foggy window of Sho's office to be dark, Kyouko mused he might be relaxing in one of the many lounges peppering the floor.

She backtracked to find the one closest to the elevator's - Sho liked his attention, even in relaxation - and just as she was about to round the corner and face the lounge she heard his voice, piercing in the silence.

"I can't wait until she signs those papers, Shoko. Kissing her is _such_ a drag."

Kyouko stilled, her breath catching and her heartbeat roaring in her eyes, a deep cacophony of beats and the rushing of blood.

"She never even bothers to look pretty, you know? Her hair is always a mess and she _looks_ like a plain servant. It always puts me in a bad mood to have to charge with her."

"That's cruel, Sho," a feminine voice said, and Kyouko numbly thought it must be 'Shoko.' She hazily attached the voice and name and matched it to the few instances Sho had mentioned his manager. "She's your partner, and you dragged her all the way to Tokyo with you. Can't you be nicer to her?"

" _Nicer_?" Sho barked cruelly. "Shoko, I _asked_ her to come with me. I gave her the option. I even brought those damned papers with me when I asked her. She had a choice and she made it. Besides, I'm like a pampered prince. I shouldn't have to worry about cooking and cleaning _and_ finding a new partner on top of it all! And that's not even considering all the school work I have to study for. It was convenient, really, to have Kyouko along. But now," Sho's voiced purred, and Kyouko heard a sliding of fabric that made her throat close up. "I have you Shoko, with your sexy dynamite body. Why would I settle for that plain ugly girl?"

Something in Kyouko snapped.

She dashed around the corner and in the same breath threw the handmade bento at him. The sneaky bastard he was dodged the attack without even looking up, tucking in towards Shoko's chest whose lap he straddled. Kyouko saw red, and she cursed herself for feeling jealous even in the midst of her heartbreak.

She was breathing heavily, she noted, and made an effort to regulate it.

"Kyouko," Sho said, and something in her twisted painfully at his voice. The gentle tone, the regret, and even the carefully hidden affection that had always accompanied the way he said her name. Oh, she had loved him. In spite of her heart thundering in rage she still loved the way her name sounded in his voice. And, even worse, her eyes flickered to his lips and she thought of kissing him, the unreleased energy within her feeling suddenly suffocating in that moment.

Desperate to gather some semblance of control, Kyouko fell on her anger. "You brought me here to Tokyo...not because I was _special_ ," she choked on the words, and she dimly realized she was hyperventilating. "But because I was _convenient_." Her breath was coming to fast, and she tried to deepen them and pace them.

Kyouko sensed more than saw Sho flinch back. At some point he'd had to decency to clamber off his manager's lap. "Kyouko, don't cry," He ordered tersely.

 _Oh_ , Kyouko realized, _I_ am _about to cry_. Desperately she took even deeper breaths to keep the tears at bay and she found herself laughing. The sound was hysterical, even to her, and somewhere deep within her aching heart Kyouko wished she had never stumbled on Sho like this.

But then the anger was back and overwhelming and Kyouko snapped to focus on Sho. "You!" She seethed, and no longer was his hair glorious and blonde but a bad dye job. His eyes didn't make her heart flutter, it only served to enrage it. She found comfort in her anger, and she thrived in it. "You will regret this! I'll _make_ you regret ever treating me this way!"

Kyouko thought the pinch between his brows was worry, but then it smoothed away and he laughed in her face, and somehow he was closer than she remembered.

"You'll _make me_ regret it? I'd like to see you try," he sneered, and Kyouko wasn't really thinking when she drew her arm back, fingers curled in and her own lip lifting in anger, her lips opening to say _Oh, I'll wipe that smug smirk off your face all right_ , when a strong grip halted her.

Startled, Kyouko looked up to find two burly security guards regarding her with a strange mix of pity and sternness and her anger flared even higher.

"Pen," she barked at them, hand held out, and the guard was so startled he released her open-palmed hand to place a pen in it.

She stormed over to the low table the lounge sofas were situated around and bent down, signing her name with a flourish over the papers she had somehow retained the sense to keep a hold on of. Done, she snapped back up and threw the papers at Sho, feeling somewhat vindicated at his incensed expression.

The only sound in the room was the soft flutter of the falling pages, and Kyouko held her gaze on Sho's even through the white sheafs fluttering down like soft down. "Goodbye Shotaro," she said coldly, and stalked from the room, shrugging off the sympathetic hand one of the guards placed on her shoulder.

She didn't need sympathy.

No.

She needed revenge, and she was going to get it. Eyes burning bright, Kyouko resolved herself to bringing Sho down to his knees before her. He was going to eat the very dirt she walked on, and he would do it gladly.

* * *

 **A/N:** And I'm back with a new story! As stated above, this is based off of Shinkuu Yuusetsu, and while I recommend it, it may not be for everyone. It's not really Boy Love per se (its more focused on the love between family and friends) but the two main characters are boys who have to kiss often so -

And, as you can guess, there will be a lot of kissing. Or as much as modest Kyouko can take, really. If there's any confusion about the nature of this AU please PM or review and I'll answer to the best of my ability. This is going to be around 10 chapters, but there's a lot happening in each one, so look forward to some lengthy reading ahead! I'll try to update weekly on Sunday.

I've already ranted on my profile about this, so I'll just ask - if you enjoyed this, please review. As much as I love to write, I also love feedback. I write as much for myself as I do for you, dear reader, so please take a moment to let me know if you enjoyed it!

As always, I do hope you've enjoyed this prologue (which was a whole lot of exposition to get this story off the ground) and if there any mistakes please let me know.

Cheers!


	2. Chapter 2

**This is an AU based off of** _ **Shinkuu Yuusetsu**_ **, a wonderful manga by** _ **Bikke**_ **. I do not own Skip Beat or the premise, only the plot.**

* * *

 _Hollow Junction_

 _Chapter 2_

* * *

When Kyouko's grip on her mother's hand tightened the woman admonished her and then yanked it away, leaving the three year old to clutch desperately at the hem of sweater. She was forbidden from that as well, too, so she was left to curling her fingers in, nails digging into her palms.

She was nervous. Her mother was nervous and so the emotion had bled into Kyouko, and standing in the strange placed her mother had called The Nursery wasn't really helping.

"Mama," Kyouko said, and then quickly back-tracked when her mother's eyes narrowed. "Okaa-san, why are we here? I'm hungry," the child tacked on.

Her mother sighed, before speaking down towards her, "I already told you Kyouko. Don't you remember?" At the shake of her head her mother continued, "The doctor's have found your partner, and we're here to meet them. We'll eat soon," she cajoled, and Kyouko felt more at ease.

"Okay," she said simply, and patiently began to wait, rocking on her heels until her mother sharply reprimanded her to stop.

Slowly the greenhouse they were in began to fill as mothers, fathers, and partners filed in with their children. No one moved to sit at the tables and chairs peppering the space and Kyouko idly wondered why since if her legs were hurting surely others' were as well.

To her relief, someone clapped their hands, drawing their attention to the small platform set up in front of the large tree. Kyouko thought the lady was very pretty with her wavy skirt and pink blouse, and she darted her gaze towards her mother's severe pinstripe suit. At least she was wearing a skirt, like Kyouko. The little girl brightened at the thought of matching her mother.

"Good morning everyone!" The nurse said, and after the crowd echoed it back to her she grinned and continued. "Welcome! Parents, you may begin looking for your child's partner, and if you've happened to have lost the letter we sent to you, please come find me or another attendant and we'll help you find your child's partner. Parents, along the back wall are refreshments, and we'll provide sandwiches for the children. Good luck!"

As one the crowd began to move, the noise level in the greenhouse increasing as various names were called out and parents and children alike mingled. Kyouko felt the taste of nervous energy as her mother remained still and quiet, eyes calmly passing over the crowd and waiting. Kyouko thought they ought to be doing something since everyone else was doing something, but she remained quiet.

To her relief, a man and a woman wearing a kimono approached them, a small child around Kyouko's age meandering behind them.

"Are you Mogami Saena?" The woman asked as she stepped closer, and Kyouko's eyes caught on the fine details on the kimono in delight, tracing the designs and trying to read the story woven within. As the adults began talking the little brunet caught her eye. She thought he was very pretty, too, with his deep brown eyes and soft hair.

"Kyouko," her mother called, and she looked up to face her. "This is your partner Fuwa Sho. Do you remember what we talked about? About charging and being a supplier?"

Kyouko nodded, eager to please her mother. Saena smiled faintly and a small blossom of happiness bloomed within Kyouko at the sight. "Good," her mother praised. _Today is a good day_ , Kyouko thought. "Now, go mingle with Fuwa-kun, and try to charge with him."

She quickly obeyed, stepping over to Sho and smiling pleasantly. The boy looked at her and sighed before walking away. Kyouko followed.

All around them were other children also talking, so Kyouko tried to as well. "Fuwa-kun, how old are you?"

"Don't call me that," he snapped, turning to look at her briefly before continuing. Kyouko wondered where he was leading her. "Just call me Sho."

"Okay Sho-chan! How old are you? And where are we going?"

"I'm four," he said briskly, rounding the large tree. A patch of flowers came into view, and Kyouko cooed in delight. "And I wanted to come here. I hate trying to be friendly with adult supervision!"

"Supervision?" Kyouko echoed, confused. He sure used some big words. The boy scoffed.

"I didn't want people watching us! Okay, now kiss me."

Kyouko blanched at the order, and seeing this Sho sighed. He muttered something under his breath before leaning forward and pressing his lips against hers. Something soft passed between them, and the growing ache in her stomach finally went away. It left behind a pleasant feeling.

"Oh," Kyouko said.

"Oh," he said too. "So that's what it's like," Sho murmured, rubbing his lips. "That was nice." Kyouko nodded mutely.

Sho glanced up at her and smiled, before leaning in to kiss her again. And then again. Kyouko grew light-headed, and suddenly her mother was there, scowling fiercely.

"Fuwa-kun!" Her mother rebuked, and Sho had the decency to look ashamed. "You're not supposed to charge more than once right now, no matter how good it may feel! Look, you've left her weak!"

But Kyouko was sleepy, and so she closed her eyes with a sigh, a small warm hand gripping her own.

* * *

Kyouko opened her eyes and scowled.

"That bastard," she sneered, sitting up from where she lay on the floor. "He'd been selfish from the start. I can't believe how blind I was!"

With a huff Kyouko stood and surveyed the near empty apartment. All her personal furniture was gone, so all that remained was what had come with the apartment. She'd felt weird sleeping with no sheets and so she'd fallen asleep on the floor. Surprisingly, her back felt all the better for it and Kyouko mused it probably had needed the support from all the standing she did,

By the front door was a small duffel bag containing her few remaining possessions, and without a backwards glance Kyouko left the apartment she had shared with Sho for nearly a year, leaving behind the memories, the love, and all the many kisses in between.

* * *

She softly traced the ends of her hair, ghosting it's tips that ended just shy of her chin. The color was lighter, bleached and dyed to make some strange cross of auburn and copper that the stylist assured perfectly matched her eyes. Yet, Kyouko didn't deny that she felt different.

Empowered.

A woman.

And, maybe, even prettier.

Kyouko blushed and laughed lightly at her vanity and payed the cashier for the cut and plus some, feeling a generosity she knew she would regret when she sat down later that night to work her figures in her ledger book.

But, at that moment, she didn't care. For once she felt free to do as she pleased, with nothing holding her down but herself. It was liberating. She trekked the distance between the salon and her new home in high spirits, but the cold still nipped at her exposed knees and Kyouko was relieved to spot the establishment.

The soft clack of wood on wood echoed in the tiny restaurant as Kyouko entered the Daruma-ya, humming in delight at the warmth it provided. It was mid February and Tokyo was much chillier than Kyoto, but Kyouko was doggedly stubborn in wearing her skirts.

It was just before the lunch rush and so there were only a few patrons - mostly the elderly - and the okami-san was free to totter over.

"Oh!" The woman cried, hands reaching to frame Kyouko's newly shorn hair and fluttering around it. "My, Kyouko-chan! It looks so very lovely! I wondered what you were doing when you left so early. I thought you might be looking for another job."

It wasn't intended as a rebuke but that was the way Kyouko took it and her eyes skittered across the floor in shame. "That's my plan for this afternoon, Okami-san. I also went to the library this morning to look at possible agencies."

"Agencies?" The woman repeated, confused. A sharp clatter directed their attention to the Taisho, who was chopping vegetables on the other side of the bar. His brow was creased in disapproval and Kyouko sighed sadly.

"Yes. I plan on entering the consultation business. Maybe more."

"My, but Kyouko-chan you… you don't have a partner right now, do you?" The hesitance in the woman's voice was clear. It was rare to not have a partner since you quite literally could not go without one. Even now the energy bubbled within Kyouko, tight and uncomfortable. She had once told Sho it was like the burn of a carbonated drink down your throat, except it was everywhere in your body and pressing at the seams.

The smile on Kyouko's face probably looked as fake as it felt, but she persevered to remain polite. "Yes. That's also why I want to work at one of the agencies. There's the clinic services on the main floor."

The matron hummed her understanding when an influx of customers came. Kyouko promised to help later that night and hurried to put away her things. When she came back downstairs all she had was her purse and was dressed in her new outfit.

Kyouko vaguely understood that the consultations Sho worked in was focused largely on appearance and charm. He was aiming to be the face in the marketing business, and Kyouko wanted to rival that.

Lory's Majestic Enlightenment, commonly known as LME (which Kyouko understood because just thinking the actual name made her shudder in embarrassment) was her goal. It was the rival agency for Akatoki, and had made quite a name for itself. It sounded like some hack religious group, but according to the website the president aimed to enlighten and help all couples and partners in their endeavors and reunite them with love.

Kyouko disagreed heartily, but she wanted to work there and she figured smiling and nodding along would help her plenty.

It wasn't necessarily a short trek from the restaurant to LME and Kyouko was relieved she hadn't sold her bike like she had momentarily considered. Hopping on, she pedaled her way to the agency.

LME was like most other businesses, Kyouko mused as she approached. Large, multi-storied, if having more windows than usual, Kyouko thought it's only difference from Akatoki was perhaps the shade of gray - lighter, but dull nonetheless.

She locked her bike up and wandered inside, blinking in shock. Clearly she had been too quick to jump the gun about appearances.

Unlike it's less than stellar exterior, the inside of LME was warm and vibrant, a busy clinic to her left filling the large lobby with muted chatter. The clinic was painted in a bright pale mint green, and the variety of sofas and couches dotting the lobby as a waiting area matched it in coral. The area was bright with large floor to ceiling windows, and a signboard to her right told Kyouko that on the second floor was a "Lovely Cafe, LA Hearts!"

It was a lovely place to be sure, and Kyouko cheered at the thought that she might be working here. Truth be told, Kyouko craved pretty things and pretty places, and LME was filled with both the former and latter.

Yet, even all the prettiness around her couldn't quite match the dread building in her stomach, churning alongside her pent-up energy that made her nauseous. She needed to charge - and very soon at that - or soon she'd succumb to a fever followed by vomiting and dry heaving. Kyouko twisted her hands around each other, recalling the times Sho had allowed her to develop a fever. Thankfully, it had never gotten too bad, but anger welled up all the same.

He was such an awful partner. He was such an awful person.

 _No_ , Kyouko scowled. He wasn't _even_ a person. He was a demon sent to torture her and make her miserable.

She stepped foot into the clinic and at the nurses' nervous stares rearranged her face into a semblance of a smile. They grinned backed in hesitant relief.

"Welcome," a male nurse greeted her, a clipboard in hand that covered part of his name-tag so that she could only just see the words _Keel_. Kyouko bowed a head in response. "How can we help you today?"

Suddenly, nerves bundled in Kyouko's stomach, joining her earlier disgust and stored energy so that she felt queasy. "I've um, separated with my partner suddenly. I need to find a new one."

"Oh," the nurse said, eyes wide, an expected response. "I'm sorry for your loss. Hm, this is rather important," he murmured the last part to himself as he patted several pockets for a pen before finding one and scribbling a note onto his papers. "I'll have to direct you to Sawara Takenori, our chief here, since we'll be finding a permanent partner for you-"

Panicked, Kyouko threw her hands out as if to physically stop his thoughts. "Not yet!" She cried. She couldn't even tell herself quite why she felt unprepared, but the thought of becoming someone else's partner soon...something so permanent and life-binding…

Keel watched her, and his face relaxed into an understanding smile, his eyes creased gently behind his glasses. What he understood, Kyouko didn't know, but she was relieved he didn't pursue the matter,

"Of course. You'll still need to see Sawara-san for testing purposes however, but around this time people are always in need of a temp partner. Is that okay?"

Kyouko nodded hurriedly, the nerves falling away so that her dread reared forefront. She didn't want to do this, but she couldn't _not_ do it. Even if she resisted until her body exhausted itself in trying to expel the energy, they would just have someone kiss her while she slept, and that thought was far more repulsive than kissing someone, albeit a stranger, of her own choosing.

"Then, follow me, um…"

"Kyouko. Mogami Kyouko," she said, and the nurse smiled once more. He was soothing, in a way, and Kyouko thought his profession suited him.

"Then Mogami-san, I'll lead you to Sawara-san. You've got quite the timing, he's just finished with his last patient.."

Keel led her around, and Kyouko took in the clinic. It was bright, with an interior waiting area to match the one in the lobby and various cubicles just beyond it. The walls were made of frosted glass and she could make out smudged blobs of people, colors blurred and dulled. Sawara's office was not too far off and Keel knocked politely.

"Come in," someone, though Kyouko presumed it was Sawara, called. Keel swung the door open and gestured for her to precede him before the closing the door behind himself and her.

The office was not particularly large or overbearing, but was actually a bit small considering his position in the clinic.

It was also towering with stacks of documents.

The man seated at the desk covered in papers looked as if the mere presence of said documents were tiring him. He was middle-aged and had the exhausted look all doctor's seemed to retain, but he did not seem displeased at the sight of Kyouko and Keel.

"Ah, a new patient? You should've warned me, Keel," the man said reproachfully as he stood, and Keel looked abashed.

"Ah, it's a bit of a special case, Sawara-san. Let me introduce you two. Mogami-san, this is Takenori Sawara, the chief director here and our resident doctor. Sawara-san, this is Mogami Kyouko."

Kyouko bowed demurely before saying, "It's very nice to meet you, Sawara-hakase."

"Oh, come off it," the man waved, a small flush on his cheeks. "No one's called me that in years. We aren't really considered such an esteemed doctor, you know," he jested, referring to his profession.

Kyouko knew what he meant. He wasn't a brain surgeon or anything so complex, but studying their complex nature of needing to be partnered still fell under the category of requiring a medical degree. Before this, Kyouko had privately agreed, since the machines did most of the work of pairing partners, but before an actual man of the field she felt ashamed and hoped her thoughts were not on her face.

"Well, Sawara-san, Mogami-san, I'll be going. Please call me if you need any help." Behind the door Kyouko could hear a young boy's voice calling for the nurse and Keel flushed slightly. "Uh, it _is_ around lunchtime. I can't believe I forgot again. Excuse me," Keel babbled nervously before finally leaving.

Sawara chuckled, amused. "That Keel. He'd lose his head if it wasn't attached to his body. Poor Elias has his work cut for him. Ah, Elias is his partner, I'm sure if you come here often enough you'll see him. Now, how can I help you?" Sawara gestured for Kyouko to come forward as he sat back down, and so Kyouko took a seat in the chair before his desk, finding it absurd enough to be funny that the towers of papers created a wall on either side of the man's face.

"I've… I need a new partner." Kyouko said, unwilling to divulge _why_ she needed a new partner.

"Oh." Sawara blinked. "Well, that _is_ a bit special. Have you already filed the separation?"

Kyouko scowled, knowing Sho wouldn't be on top of the issue and hoped his manager would take care of it for them. "I've signed the papers, yes, but… I… I don't want to have a new partner yet," she looked down at her hands, clasped loosely in her lap, avoiding the chief's speculative gaze. "I don't… I don't think I'm ready," Kyouko professed honestly.

"Well," he said, leaning back to rub his chin without the danger of knocking the towers around him over. "You know you can't stay without one for long."

She grimaced. "I know! I know… just not yet, please."

There was a moment of silence, where Kyouko stared at the folds in her hands and Sawara stared at her, before the man exhaled and she looked up. "Fine, Mogami-san. It's the right season, and you'd be a lot of help."

Kyouko thought she knew what he meant, but wanted to be sure. "Keel-san mentioned it earlier. What do you mean by it being 'the right season?'"

Sawara blinked at her, surprised. "You don't know? Haven't you ever been a temp before?"

Kyouko shook her head, "Not often. My partner was rarely sick and he…" she scowled fiercely even just mentioning him. "He didn't like to share." She spat the word _bastard_ beneath her breath and jumped guiltily at the reproving look Saware gave her.

When he spoke he didn't mention her slip and Kyouko relaxed in relief. "Around this time people tend to fall sick with flus, colds, etcetera," he waved his hand airily, "So clinic's are always flooded with people looking for temporary partners to charge with while their own partners are recovering." He glared at the mounds of paperwork and Kyouko realized they were all the applications and forms he had to sign off of on. "So coming here to purely be a temp actually helps us quite a bit, though it might make you tired in the long run, since you'll essentially be charging every time with someone you're not matched for. Speaking of, which are you? I haven't asked."

"Supplier," Kyouko told him, and Sawara said that was perfect, since they were always in low supply of suppliers. He grinned at his own joke and Kyouko politely smiled.

"Now," he said gruffly, apparently embarrassed at Kyouko's lack of humor. "Let's get all the testing out of the way…"

* * *

"I'll come pick you up later, Ren. Be good and charge," his manager scolded, and Ren scowled back at him, slightly miffed when Yashiro remained unruffled. Ren wanted to bite out _you're not my mom_ but that would only call for more teasing and so he only nodded in acquiescence.

"Good," Yashiro said and he left Ren to his own devices within the clinic's lobby. Ren sighed irritably.

Really, he had been born in _America_ and he still had this cursed problem. God really did only scowl down at him, Ren thought morosely, before heading into the clinic. He quickly found Keel, whose arm was claimed by Elias. Ren had always been privately amused about the dichotomy Elias and Keel presented. Keel, who was tall with hair permanently in a disheveled mess and head frequently in the clouds, was a contrast to Elias, who was short - though it was most likely due to his age - and put neatly together with silky black locks and pressed clothes. They were an unusual pair, but somehow it worked all the same.

"Good afternoon," Ren greeted politely, the sentiment echoed back to him by the pair. "I'm here to charge."

Keel quickly stepped back into his role as nurse and Elias politely let go, wandering towards the waiting area to give the illusion of privacy.

"Perfect timing," Keel grinned, hair tousled and slightly messy as always. "We just had a new supplier come in, just sit in one of the stalls and wait a bit. Is that okay?"

Ren nodded and left to find an open cubicle. Most were empty since it was mid-afternoon and so Ren luxuriously picked an out of the way stall, eager for privacy. He didn't particularly hate charging in front of people, but he did prefer to keep it private.

He eased into the seat - though it was more a lounge chair than anything - and shut his eyes with a sigh, relishing the silence. He didn't mind people, but sometimes it was nice to sit in solitude, and so Ren relaxed into the chair, allowing the tension to bleed from his shoulders as he closed his eyes.

But as always, when he was in the clinic or about to charge his mind turned unbidden to his partner, and his brow wrinkled in frustration. He didn't want to think about him.

He'd had partners after him, of course, but they never lasted long, the taste of their energy repulsive to him. Lory had given him an ultimatum (or, rather, he'd presented it to Ren since it was inevitable): die, or settle down with a partner.

Ren, who had been weak and depressed from the lack of proper energy, sought a loophole and found it. He'd simply sign on with the clinic as a temp partner until they found a truly suitable partner for him. After all, he had argued, charging with a partner who didn't really match him was just as bad as charging with all these strangers, so did it really make a difference? Ren suspected Lory had bent, though, with Ren had brokenly murmured that he just couldn't stay with one person because he was scared.

Despite what he had said to Lory, Ren _did_ want a partner. He could barely remember what truly charging felt like, to have the energy in him spreading like warmth, washing over him like a pleasant spring day that lulled him into peace. Warm lips against his, a soft hand cupping his cheek, a gentle sigh against his mouth as soothing energy poured into him. Ren's eyes shot open to meet wide golden ones.

Ren tried to jerk back from the kiss only to ram his head into the firm cushion of the chair supporting him, so he shoved the girl off of him and sat up, scowling fiercely.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ren demanded angrily as he rubbed his lips, feeling some remorse that he had pushed her hard enough to make her stumble into the narrow walls of the cubicle behind her.

The girl blinked, stunned, before she straightened and glowered back at Ren. "Charging, obviously," the girl spat and Ren forgot his remorse.

"Without asking?" He protested, incensed. It felt like a violation, to be kissed by someone he didn't know while he'd been unaware, and it reminded him hatefully of the times after his partner had died, how his father had allowed people to take turns, kissing him as he slept. "What is _wrong_ with you?"

She sputtered, her face red. "I thought- you looked- I-," she groaned as she stumbled on her words.

"You shouldn't have done that without asking," Ren rebuked, still angry, mind still awash with memories of those cold long days, of the disgusting strange energy he'd awake to find swirling within him.

She colored and then spun on her heel and out the cubicle. For a moment Ren's anger explosively grew at her lack of apology and her dismissive attitude, but as suddenly as it came it left, and he simply sighed in distaste. What's done is done, he thought, and he finally stood from the chair to find Yashiro.

He stumbled into a worried Keel outside the door. "Tsuruga-san?" Keel blinked, looking from Ren and back towards the girl who'd just assaulted him, barely catching a glimpse or her back before she rounded the corner and disappeared. "What happened?"

Ren wanted to demand from Keel who that girl was - if only to prevent her from ever charging with him again - when Yashiro appeared, seemingly having come to retrieve him.

"Ren?" His manager gently asked, and he realized that his irritation must be showing on his face. Like ripping off a glove, he shed his anger to be stored and dealt with later. Smiling at Keel and Yashiro, he shook his head.

"Nothing. We just charged and she left. Let's go, Yashiro," Ren said, unwillingly to remain in the clinic any longer. Nodding at Keel, he added, "I'll be back later. Please give my regards to Elias and Sawara-san."

"Of course," Keel hastily said, nodding nervously and then burrowing his eyebrows in frustration when his glasses threatened to slip. "I hope your day is pleasant."

"So do I," Ren muttered under his breath, drawing a sharp look from Yashiro who, being right next to him, had clearly overheard. _Damn, I'm slipping_. "To you as well," he said aloud to Keel and then finally left with Yashiro, who gave him a look that said _We'll be talking about this, you and I_.

The moment they were out of the clinic and in an empty elevator Yashiro began. " _What_ was that, Ren?"

Ren stifled his first response to groan aloud as he rubbed his cheek with the heel of a palm. "What was what, Yashiro?"

"Don't play coy with me. What happened in the clinic that got you so riled up? It isn't like you."

He stifled another sigh. "I just didn't like who I charged with," he replied, glaring half-heartedly at the glowing numbers in hope the elevator would arrive at their floor sooner.

Out of the corner of his eye Ren could see his manager gaping at him. "You didn't _like her_? What on earth did she do to make you dislike her?"

"I don't like everyone, Yashiro," Ren murmured, somewhat amused.

"Of course you don't Ren, and you'll never say if you do, except you _are_ saying it now." He frowned in concern, then, brows drawn together. "Is she a problem? Should I request the clinic to place her on the block list for you?"

Ren felt flustered at the suggestion. "No, don't worry about it Yashiro. We just didn't get along, that's all."

"So, did you charge all right then?" His manager asked curiously, and Ren remembered spitefully that Yashiro was one of the very rare few who were born without their strange condition.

"Yes, it was nice," he said, keeping privately to himself that he felt energized like he never felt before. If he moved past his feelings - which was always easy for him to do, to look at something objectively - Ren had enjoyed charging with her. He felt light, felt rejuvenated. There was no sign of the tiredness or lethargy that seemed to always accompany him these days.

But, Ren scowled, the girl was not worth the charge.

"Well, you look a lot better," Yashiro remarked candidly, ignoring the look Ren gave him. He grinned mischievously. "In fact, I think you really liked it, since this is the first time you've ever complimented someone after charging. Maybe I should request her as your priority temp, hm?" There was the gleam in Yashiro's eyes of someone who had found good teasing material and was prepared to utilize it to the utmost advantage, and Ren quickly realized his mistake.

He groaned silently, irritated anew at the girl who had thrown him into a sudden disarray, and whose lips he still felt a ghostly touch of, a warmth still present on his cheek.

* * *

 **A/N:** Aww thank you everyone for such a sweet response! I hope you all like this chapter.

I'm sure you all know who Ren's former partner was given by the clues, though I hope no one throws stones at me for this.

Oh, and Keel and Elias are not OCs of mine, but rather canon characters borrowed from Shinkuu Yuusetsu because why not.

A bit of info on this AU: At the beginning when children first begin to charge they only need to exchange once a day, and as they grow into adults it increases so that it's 2-3 times a day, which is why Saena becomes so irritated in the beginning and why Kyouko is so nauseated before she charges with Ren. Honestly, I never write children so I worry I made Sho too mature. I tried to write him in the image of my cousin's five year when _she_ had been four, but she's a bit precocious so I might have overshot it. Oh well.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and leave a review if you did!

-HMD


	3. Chapter 3

**This is an AU based off of** _ **Shinkuu Yuusetsu**_ **, a wonderful manga by** _ **Bikke**_ **. I do not own Skip Beat or the premise, only the plot.**

* * *

 _Hollow Junction_

 _Chapter 3_

* * *

"Let me work here!" Kyouko demanded angrily, slapping her hands on Sawara's desks. The man jumped and hastily grabbed a towering stack of papers that threateningly leaned to one side. Once secured, he glared at her.

"Excuse me?"

Clearing her throat, Kyouko tried again. "Let me work here," she enunciated clearly, and Sawara's scowl deepened.

"It would have been just fine if you had said that without trying to drown me in these papers," he replied waspishly, and Kyouko pursued her lips, determined to achieve her goal even through embarrassment.

"Then… you'll give me one?" She asked hopefully.

Sawara chuckled, evidently amused. "No, not so fast. Here, sit, sit, this is going to be a long conversation in fact-" he glanced at the mounted wall clock and grabbed his blazer from the back of his chair. "Join me for lunch. You just charged, yes? You should eat."

Kyouko obediently followed him from the clinic and upstairs to L.A. Hearts, whose clientele seemed to be at the end of their lunch rush, mostly empty plates surrounding the pair as they walked in. Sawara quickly found a recently vacated table, if the faint gleam of cleaner on its surface was any indicator. He draped his jacket against the back of his chair and then gestured towards the counter. "We order over there."

Kyouko, conscious of her dwindling money, simply ordered a cup of tea, citing to Sawara, who ordered similarly but along with a salad, that she'd eaten at home already.

The pair returned to their claimed table and Kyouko politely waited until he had taken a bite of his salad and she a sip of her drink before she broached the topic again. "Will you hire me?"

"Slow down," he reprimanded lightly, taking a sip of his tea and relaxing into its aroma before side-eyeing her. "We're very picky with our employees. Our boss...well, he's a bit on the side of eccentric." Kyouko thoughtfully kept the words ' _I can tell'_ to herself. Anyone who names their company 'Lory's Majestic Enlightenment' qualified as the kinder term 'eccentric.'

The chief steepled his fingers, elbows on either side of his salad. "So, I would like to know… why do you want to be here?"

"Why?" Kyouko parroted incredulously as she remembered the reasons behind her resolve. A slow wind built up and the lights overhead darkened momentarily. Even the warm sunlight streaming from the floor to ceiling windows nearby dimmed.

" _Because_ ," Kyouko growled as her grip tightened around her cup and she consciously tried to relax each finger until she was no longer threatening to break the glass, jaw aching with how hard she was gritting her teeth. She couldn't afford to replace a cup. But her anger needed to go somewhere, and so she slammed her fists into the table top, fixing a glare onto the chief who had dared question her determination. "I want to _beat Fuwa Sho_!"

Sawara stared open-mouthed at her, shivering at the sudden chill in the room, then recovering and coughing.

"Would you _stop_ harassing our tables?" He cried with his first breath, before finally calming to look at her askance. "Beat _Fuwa Sho_? I'm sorry Mogami-san, but you have the wrong agency if you're chasing after that one."

Kyouko's ears caught the strange wording - _that one_ \- but she shook her head vigorously. "No, no! You misunderstand. I want to _beat_ him, into the ground, beneath me, where he _belongs_!" She couldn't help the delighted smirk that curled her lips at the imagery her words provoked, and her toes twitched with the imagined bliss she would feel stomping the bastard's face into the dirt. "I want my _revenge_ on him!"

Sawara was not looking at her with understanding, Kyouko dimly realized. She had to make him understand, but before she could he held a hand up. "Okay… Okay. Throwing away your reasoning-" Kyouko opened her mouth to protest his fickle treatment but a glare from him shut it "-tell me what do want to _do_ here. What position are you looking for?"

Kyouko's blank look must have lasted too long because he scowled. "Are you seriously just storming into any agency with guns ablaze and firing and not a single idea about what you want to do there?"

"Hey!" Kyouko cried, offended. "This is the first one."

" _Not_ the point here."

Kyouko sighed, tracing a finger along the rim of her cup as she stared down into the tea. It was getting cold, she mindlessly thought, and so she took a sip, ever thrifty as she was. She _was_ a bit hungry, after charging earlier - _don't think of that jerk_ \- and so she sipped a bit more, and Sawara respectfully allowed her, returning to his forgotten salad.

They stayed in silence for a moment, and Kyouko thought she looked particularly pathetic because Sawara sighed after a while. "I'm too soft for this… Okay. Okay. Tell you what, I'll let you meet our president. You're…" he waved a hand up and down at her, at a loss for words, and Kyouko scowled at what seemed like an insult. "You're like him," the chief eventually said, "so maybe he'll understand you better than I can, or ever will." The last part was said in a grumble that was not lost on Kyouko, but she took what she could get. She jumped from the table to bow deeply.

"Oh, thank you so very much Sawara-san! You won't regret this!"

"I hope not," the man mumbled beneath his breath, lips pressed in a thin line before he resumed eating his salad with a half-hearted vigor, already foreseeing what troubles someone who was as eccentric as the president could bring working under him.

* * *

Kyouko was glad Sawara was going with her, even though she had just meant the man. Meeting the president of a business seemed like a big deal, and Kyouko steeled her nerves. She _would_ get a job here, no matter what!

From where she stood before the oak doors Kyouko could see Sawara converse with a secretary, and then he headed towards her, a genial smile on his face. "She said he's available, and that he'll see us." After a beat, he side-eyed her. "You're very lucky, you know that? You have impeccable timing."

She flushed at the comment, and was glad when Sawara forewent any more conversation, rapping smartly on the wooden doors. A deep voice beckoned them in, and Sawara took a deep breath before looking at her again. "Remember what I told you. Our president… he's a bit eccentric, okay?"

Before Kyouko could ask with sudden trepidation exactly what he meant about _eccentric_ and why he felt the need to tell her twice, he pushed the doors open and she suddenly understood.

"Oh," she said in a small voice, overwhelmed.

The room was bathed in an eerie blue light, visible smoke curling around the edges and diluting the light so that everything looked mystical and shrouded. Far off giggles surrounded her and Kyouko shuddered, her nerves high-strung. Next to her, the chief groaned. "Come on, let's get this over with."

Kyouko followed directly behind him as he trudged through the gloom on some path only he could see. Quickly - enough so that Kyouko guessed the room was smaller than it looked and the fog denser than she thought - they approached a raised dais surrounded by torches lit with blue fire, and on top was a throne of bones.

But, the real spectacle was the ghostly man sitting on the throne. Black silks were draped across his body in stark contrast to his pale skin. In his equally dark curls nestled a crown of roses, thorns and bones interwoven so that it looked at once deadly and lovely. Seated on the arm of his chair was a beautiful fairy who looked stunningly out of place with the soft pink tones of her silken dress and the multitude of flowers woven into it and her hair. Her crown seemed to be made of pearls and white floral, so that she was the picture of innocence and spring.

The regal man spoke, his voice deep and foreboding. "What brings you to my humble kingdom today?"

Sawara was unamused. "Shacho, what theme is it today?"

The man pouted, throwing Kyouko who gaped at the character gap. "Sawara-kun, you boring man, you! Can't you at least entertain me some?"

"Certainly not," the chief replied dryly. "I have a special case for you."

The king perked at that, eyes bright and drawing an ever starker difference against his backdrop. "Oh! My manners, I seem to have lost them. Excuse me," he said to the fairy on his side as he stood, moving down the steps to meet the commoners.

Once he was level with them, though he was still laughably taller than Kyouko, the man grinned white teeth and waved with a graceful hand, indicating the dark gloom around him. "Hello, i'm Takarada Lory and welcome to LME! And whom do I have the pleasure to be speaking with today?"

Kyouko gasped and shook herself from her stupor, bowing quickly with an audible snap of her spine. "Hello Takarada-san. I am Mogami Kyouko and I am seeking to work here."

Lory hummed, placing a hand on his chin and walking towards her and then around her, inciting a slightly stifled but still heard long suffering sigh from Sawara, who seemed to put up with Lory's antics more often than not. Once he was in front of the duo again, he hummed again, even deeper in tone, and Kyouko hid her frustrations well.

She remained polite, a congenial smile on her face even though internally she thought _what are you thinking? Why do you keep humming? Do you like what you see or do you not? Are you judging me? Is this a test? Are you testing my patience, my resolve? WHAT IS IT?_

"Tell me, Mogami-san, what do you think of love?"

Immediately following his words the room, already dark with dim lighting, suddenly felt even more like the realm of death as a foreboding chill whipped around them. Everyone shivered and stared at the girl whose face had twisted in such anger it beyond recognition.

"A harbinger of destruction and a worthless emotion that should be damned to hell!" Kyouko spat instantly, fury licking at her suddenly. Kyouko wanted to curse the emotion into damnation until it never reared its ugly head in front of her again! It was _worthless_ , _useless_ , and _needless_ and all it did was bring suffering!

Agitated, Kyouko lifted her gaze to tell the idiot president off but was met with pitiful eyes.

Beside her, Sawara groaned unhappily, digging a frustrated heel into his forehead as if to rub an ache away. Kyouko got the sinking feeling she had screwed up somewhere.

 _...the president aimed to enlighten and help all couples and partners in their endeavors and reunite them with love._

 _Oh_ , Kyouko thought. _I've_ really _messed up_. This was the part where she was supposed to smile, nod her head, and agree, and she had done everything _but_ that. _Oh, Kyouko you idiot, you!_ She wished there was a nearby hard surface so that she could bang her head into oblivion. She had just basically spat on his life's motto and his entire business plan, there was _no way_ he was hiring her now!

Sawara tried to appease the situation. "Sir, she's just lost her partner, she's not ready for anything like love!"

Lory seemed mollified at this, and he directed his gaze at Kyouko. "You've lost your partner?" He asked bluntly, causing the chief to flinch and for the beautiful fairy to sigh and cast her gaze skyward.

Kyouko shook her head, unwilling to lie. "No. We separated," and Kyouko could not help the bitter note that crept into her tone. She did not look at Lory, already aware that she had lost the job and that he was asking only out of courtesy.

"Then! Consider yourself hired, Mogami-kun!"

"Hah?" Kyouko said ungracefully, but was overshadowed by Sawara's own incredulous exclamation that was so loud the president looked at him warily. The chief blushed and shuffled nervously.

Lory continued then, resuming his earlier vigor. "Oh, yes, yes, you're perfect! I have _just_ the job for you!"

And Kyouko's heart, instead of jumping for joy at being hired, sunk at the maniacal gleam in Lory's eyes. She cast a pleading gaze on Sawara, who nervously looked at anything but her, and Kyouko had the sinking suspicion he knew exactly what Lory was scheming.

"This is _perfect_!" Lory cried happily, clapping his hands in glee. Kyouko felt horror.

* * *

"Please tell me, Chief, _what_ this is?"

Sawara looked at her with pity and Kyouko wanted to scream.

"It is what it is, Mogami-san. A work uniform."

Kyouko gave him a look that said _please stop messing around_. "This isn't _just_ a work uniform. It's...it's… it's an _abomination_ to mankind."

"Now now," Sawara said kindly. "It's not that bad."

"Please repeat that sentence while actually _looking_ at the uniform."

Silence prevailed and Kyouko sighed in misery. The chief tried desperately to cheer her up.

"Come now, Mogami-san! It isn't so bad! Why, I think you got an amazing deal! Not only do you get hands-on experience, you're even trained on the job! It's the perfect opportunity to discover where you would like to work in the company while gaining experience!"

"You mean an official errand runner and dog of the company." Sawara flinched at the blunt statement and finally lost his patience.

"You're really very lucky Mogami-san. Not many - in fact, I doubt _any_ \- people walk into a company and get a position tailor made for them on the spot. Count your blessings," the chief said sternly.

The rebuke worked and Kyouko sighed and let the abomination in her hands fall from her line of sight. "Yes, Sawara-san."

"And I don't think the president would appreciate hearing such ingrateful words, hm?"

Kyouko's glower could have driven holes straight into the other side of the Earth, but she nodded in acquiescence.

"Good. Then why don't you change and come to my office and I'll explain your duties?"

"Yes, Sawara-san," Kyouko said again, and the chief left the locker room, turning the lock as he left so Kyouko could change in peace. Said girl collapsed into a foldable chair and dropped her head into her folded arms.

It wasn't even just the uniform, though it _really_ didn't help, it was the job itself. Sawara could sugar-coat it all he wanted, Kyouko had basically secured a job as the dog of LME and was being told to jump first and ask questions later. ' _Or never_.'

Still, Kyouko was ashamed at how she had reacted in front of Sawara, her supervisor now, and she dreged herself up from the chair and slowly put the uniform on.

It was a pink disgrace to mankind that was so bright it hurt even when in her peripherals. The worst part, however, was the giant logo emblazoned on her back and a smaller version on her breast pocket. The words LoveME stared back at her unrepentantly.

" _You need to want to love and be loved, Mogami-kun. How could you work properly in a business all about love if the very emotion detests you?"_

Lory was right, but it didn't mean Kyouko had to be happy about it.

She could only hope that the gods took pity on her and never let the bastard-that-shall-not-be-named see her this way. He'd never let her hear the end of it. She could just imagine him now, with devil's wings on his back and a sneer curling his lips, guffawing to Shoko that ' _Look! Now she's dressing as tacky on the outside as she is on the inside!_ '

Scowling at the imagery, Kyouko shoved her feet into her shoes and zipped her jumpsuit up, slamming her locker door shut. She'd have to buy a lock, she realized, though she sincerely doubted anyone would come near her locker for fear of burning their eyes on what Lory somehow decided would be a uniform. Sighing, she worked her way to Sawara.

In a way, the chief had been right. She'd be getting hands-on experience and learning the inner-workings of the one of the most (if not _the_ most) successful agency in Japan. There was no way that wasn't beneficial. And Kyouko didn't really mind menial tasks. Cleaning was not a shameful act to her, unlike what certain blowhards would say.

She would get experience, education - they had promised to train her for whatever tasks they pushed on to her - and once she got her hands wet enough she'd accompany actual consultants on their jobs, acting as help.

Specifically, given the horrendous name of her department, she'd be helping on jobs focusing on finding and restoring love lost between pairs, resolving tensions and issues that tend to crop up when you spend most of your life with someone.

" _A chance for a second chance, for lost love to bud anew and shower Japan with an eternal spring!"_ Lory had cried extravagantly, waving his arms about. Kyouko had stared at him with a deadpan look, still trying to consolidate the imagery of Hades with the personality of Lory.

There was no end-goal promise, but there was enough to leave hope. Sucking in a breath, Kyouko determined that she would view her newfound paying job through a lens of positivity, even if she ended up blind from the uniform.

All around her were cries of dismay as people's eyes feasted on the burning neon that was her outfit, and Kyouko tried her utmost to keep the furious blush of her face. She wasn't doing it because she _liked_ it, okay? She wanted to scream it at everyone that turned away from her to whisper to their companions, but now she was an employee of LME and she had a certain image to uphold.

…

Oh, who was she kidding? There was _no way_ there was any kind of image of LME she could hold onto even if she used both her teeth and hands with the uniform she was wearing.

Sighing in defeat, Kyouko finally arrived at the clinic. As if stirred by recent memories, she felt the familiar bubble of energy and she scowled.

Of course that little peck with that jerk hadn't taken all the energy she'd stored up in two days. There was still more than was comfortable growing inside her, spreading throughout. The more she thought about it, the more she felt suffocated from the sensation, as if the energy were trying to crawl its way slowly up her throat to somehow be expelled from her body that way. Kyouko resigned herself to kissing another stranger, her mouth curling in disgust at the thought,

"Oh."

Startled by the neary voice, Kyouko whirled around to spy the man from earlier, glaring at her through narrowed eyes. She didn't blame him, it took a while to adjust to the... _pinkness_ of her outfit.

Still, she didn't like his tone, as if he had stepped in something particularly disgusting and was surprised to find it on the floor of LME's shiny lobby. "What?" Kyouko snapped irritably.

The man frowned down at her from his impressive height, and Kyouko idly thought that had he been standing the first time she met him she'd never been able to kiss him without effort on his part. She banished the thought immediately.

"What are you looking at?" Kyouko demanded when he remained unresponsive, only then noticing the quiet bespectacled man beside him.

"Your uniform… it's very eye-catching," the taller man finally said atlast, eyes struggling to stay on hers. Kyouko snorted at his diplomacy.

"Takarada-shacho picked it out," she defended. There was no way she was claiming this outfit as her own.

"Shacho?" He echoed. Kyouko frowned. For some reason she had assumed he worked here but…

"Yes. Lory Takarada, the president of LME?" Her face was polite but her tone was all _You're standing in LME's lobby but you don't know that_?

The man scowled and Kyouko cheered internally at the sight. "I know who he is," he said dryly. "I was just taken aback that you called him president yourself."

"I work here." Kyouko said simply, daring him to say anything other than a polite 'oh' with her eyes.

He apparently could not read her glare very well. " _You_ work _here_?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Kyouko cried, offended.

But the man was frowning down at her. "It means exactly what it sounds like. I don't know about Takarada-san hiring people who attack others while they're asleep."

She gasped. "I didn't _attack_ you! I was trying to help you!"

"By _kissing_ me when I wasn't even aware? Sure, that's exactly the impression you gave."

Kyouko scoffed and stumbled over her words, wanting to say something to defend herself but unable to when he was right, and looked away. Dammit, she _had_ kissed him when he was asleep! She had thought her first time charging a stranger would have been easier if she didn't know he was awake, but he had fooled her. Kyouko flushed in anger and shame.

"LoveME…" she heard him read aloud, and she looked back up to him scrutinizing her. "Oh. It's _that_ department. Well, I'm sure there is plenty of work for you here. Like stapling papers."

Kyouko gasped and her skin darkened a shade. This man…! How _dare_ he! Even if she had kissed him while he had been asleep, her first thought had genuinely been that he'd fainted from lack of energy! She wanted to demand he give back her kind feelings, but the shorter man stepped forward to tap the jerk beside him.

"Ren, we have to go now. I'm sorry to interrupt," the light-haired man said, nodding to her and then dismissing her.

Kyouko didn't wait to hear his good-byes. Clicking her tongue in dismissal - a move she'd learning from the blond idiot - she snapped around on her heel and marched inside, giving a weary smile to Keel who gazed concernedly at her and then resuming her scowl once he was out of sight.

See if she _ever_ helped that bastard again!

* * *

Kyouko stepped into the cubicle with a ready smile that faltered when she saw who she'd be kissing.

A guy.

She stamped down on her urge to growl and stalk over to Keel, whom she remembered explictly telling to _not_ pair her with males. But, what was done was done, and the smile on her face never betrayed her thoughts.

"Hello, my name is Mogami Kyouko and I'll be charging with you."

The guy looked up from his phone and blinked at her before smiling kindly. "Ah, hello there. I'm Ishibashi Hikaru," he laughed lightly. Kyouko frowned, and the young man scrambled to reassure her. "No, no, I'm not laughing at you! It's just we normally don't introduce ourselves so politely when we first meet." He gestured for her to sit on the straight-back chair beside his lounging one, and she complied.

Hesitantly, for fear of being laughed at genuinely, Kyouko asked, "How do you normally do," she waved her hand for lack of a better word, and settled for, "-this?"

Hikaru looked fond as he recalled. "People normally walk in, declare they're a supplier and then kiss me! I even had one guy march in, grab the collar of my shirt and force me to kiss before leaving just as quickly! Turns out he was embarrassed to death to kiss a stranger and wound up being the funniest experience I had." As if guessing the question that immediately popped up in her mind, Hikaru glanced at her kindly. "So far, yours is being the nicest."

Kyouko flushed at the compliemnt, and Hikaru's smile grew. "Okay," she said shyly, pleased. "Um, how do I… how should I start?"

"If it makes you feel better, I can just lie back and close my eyes?" Kyouko nodded and Hikaru complied. She looked at him then, with soft brown hair that seemed constantly ruffled and light lashes that stood out from the usual dark ones. He was taller than her, she thought, and was grateful he'd already been sitting.

"Um… Kyouko-chan, I don't mind waiting but I can feel you staring and it's making me nervous." Hikaru stammered, and Kyouko found his own nerves eased hers.

She laughed so lightly she doubted he'd heard it, and then leaned forward to kiss him, pressing a hand on the seat by his neck to balance herself.

Whether it was habit or from actual pleasure, she didn't know, but she relaxed into kiss as the intense energy finally faded away into something pleasant. As if stirred by the sensations, a faint memory surfaced.

 _The sun was warm on her cheeks and she could feel his lashes flutter softly against them, too, and she sighed before pulling away. The blond boy stared at her dazedly before he broke into grin._

 _"Wow Kyouko-chan. I'm jealous of your prince that he gets such a nice feeling all the time."_

 _The innocent comment made Kyouko blush hot enough to rival the afternoon sun overhead, and she giggled. He looked at her strangely._

 _"Didn't you know how nice it felt?"_

 _Kyouko shook her head._

 _The boy scoffed and then tenderly kissed her cheek. "It's warm, like the sun, and makes me feel happy. Maybe… maybe because you're feeling happy."_

 _She gazed at him, trying to capture the warmth of that moment forever, the glint of sunlight on his blond hair and the sweet look in his green eyes._

 _Corn._

Blinking, Kyouko pulled away. It had been a while since she'd thought of Corn, but it was never a bad time to be thinking of him, even while charging with another person. She felt slightly light headed, but Kyouko would rather suffer from too little energy than from too much. It had been awhile since someone had taken as much as Hikaru had.

She laughed breathlessly as she sat back in her chair and Hikaru leaned forward. "Do you have a long day ahead, Ishibashi-san? You took a lot."

He gazed at, eyes glazed. "No… no, you…" he shook his head and when he looked at her again his eyes were clearer. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. It must've been a longer time since I'd last charged than I thought… I kind of lost track." He chuckled and rubbed a hand through the back of his hair, ruffling it even more.

Kyouko giggled. She felt more free than she had in awhile, and the memory of Corn kept her in a happy mood. "Anytime, Ishibashi-san."

"Please, call me Hikaru."

* * *

 **A/N:** Ohhhhh Man, sudden challenger on the left! Enter, Hikaru!

Ooph, euch, yea Ren's a bit of a jerk. Ah, well. Also, to that one guest who asked if Ren was gay: Being partnered with someone doesn't automatically imply a romantic relationship. Whether Ren had feelings for his last partner or not, well, those are questions for his next partner to ask :P And Corn is being sly by trying to infer she's happy because Kyouko is there with _him_ and not Sho. Sneaky child.

Also, thank you so much for all the reviews and follows! I'm so glad you all enjoy this AU! Let me know what you thought of this chapter?

-HMD


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